This Dollar Tree Container Is The 2‑in‑1 Home Bar Hack You Need

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Tired of doing a million dishes when you're whipping up cocktails or mocktails in your home bar? We get it. When you're making a complex drink recipe, measuring cups and spoons can pile up quickly. Thankfully, there's a super-cost-effective Dollar Tree container that can help. These 16-ounce Cooking Concepts mix and serve containers retail for about $1.25 (pricing may vary depending on location), and can make it easy to create drinks at your home bar — without requiring you to wash a ton of dishes. It's measuring cups or spoons plus a cocktail shaker all in one.

Whether you're making margaritas or non-alcoholic drinks, the measurement markings on Dollar Tree's containers take the guesswork out of pouring the right amount of each ingredient. After you've poured, simply close the container and shake. Pop the lid back open, and you'll be ready to pour out whatever deliciousness you've whipped up behind the bar. Since these containers are dishwasher safe (just be sure to place the lid on the top rack), cleanup is quick and simple. One tip: Since these are made of clear plastic, they might hold onto stains if you're using colored liquids (like bright juices or liquids with food dye). In this case, you'll want to get them into soapy water right away (you might need to use a bit of baking soda to scrub out tough stains). 

Your home bar isn't the only place where it makes sense to use these containers — they're a great fit for iced coffee, protein shakes, and even marinades. Toss your morning iced coffee into the shaker cup and add the sweetener, dairy, or non-dairy creamer of your choice. You'll find that it's a lot easier to give it a few seconds of shaking than trying to blend it all together with a straw or a spoon (shaker cups are an especially good fit if you're mixing in a bit of sweetened condensed milk for Vietnamese-style coffee).

If you're hitting the gym (or you're just trying to get more protein in your diet), shaker cups are also a great way to dirty fewer dishes when you're making protein shakes. Just don't forget to add some ice cubes before you start shaking. Since the bottle doesn't have an agitator, ice cubes can work to break up any clumps for a smoother result. Otherwise, you can get a three-piece set of Bodundirect stainless steel shaker balls to pop into your Dollar Tree container whenever needed.

Finally, you can also use your shaker cup to create marinades. It can be a pain to blend all the components of a great marinade, and giving everything a shake can make it easier. You'll be able to measure as you go, shake it up, and pour your marinade right over your steak, chicken, beef, or pork.